Keep It Together
by Valkyrien
Summary: There are some things only family can do for you. Torpid ventures out into the world of children her own age and experiences first hand the cruelty of humans. Her family rallies around her, but she'll never know just how far they'll go in her name.


**DISCLAIMER: NONE OF THE CHARACTERS - BAR THE BARKEEP - BELONGS TO ME, I JUST MAINTAIN THE RIGHTS TO THE STORYLINE ITSELF.**

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**Keep It Together**

She couldn't have found a less conventional father figure among the available males of her acquaintance if she had tried, but nonetheless she managed to bond with the one person deemed 'Unfit For Breeding' by the mansion's supreme council on such matters – which consisted mainly of people like Amara and Jean, although they had to agree that any child with eyes like his would be a cradle-snatch to die for. But Torpid didn't really care for their opinions, or anyone else's for that matter. Having lived in the sewers because her original parents didn't want her – as far as she'd been told – her view on humanity was a simple one. Those that had it, she could trust. Those who did not, she could not. And those who dabbled in both were the most frightening of all. So it was in fact unsurprising that she had come to view Kyle Gibney as a father in much the same way that Rogue, Laura and Kitty viewed Logan, if in a slightly more casual sense. And for all his gruff dismissal of the notion, Kyle couldn't have been more devoted if he tried, more a cross between a truly awesome father and a kind of weird older brother who would put up with any amount of upset from her as long as she was learning from the experience, but couldn't bear to see her mildy disappointed for any reason and would do almost anything to make her smile.

Laura, on the other hand, was the sister and friend Torpid had never had before. Callisto had done her best, but her war against human kind wore on her and she had little time to see to the emotional needs of every Morlock individually, choosing a more detached, generally kind approach, where Laura had time whenever for whatever and always did anything she could to see that Torpid was happy and well. Storm did the mothering, just as Logan did the overall fathering about the house when needed, but Laura and Kyle were more of a family to the ex-Morlock child than anyone else had ever been.

To Torpid, Kyle and Laura were the perfect couple. Nothing was beyond them, nothing was too big or too small to fight over, and nothing was insurmountable as long as they were together. Kyle had a gift for being able to diffuse any situation with minimal fuss – unless he was going for a big scene, as he sometimes was – and always somehow managed to finance whatever he wanted to be able to finance. Laura on the other hand, had a talent for compassion – and style – that far surpassed that of most other girls in the mansion, perhaps bar Rogue – and Kitty, if you were into pink and chick-flicks. So while she came to Laura with her concerns regarding her looks or interpersonal relationships, she came to Kyle with her normality issues and her anger. Both of them chipped in when she had tears to deal with.

Through her years at the mansion she had realised gradually that Jamie wasn't ever going to let up in his mission to unglove her and have her freeze him for a few minutes at a time, and while this upset and at times just plain bored her, she enjoyed being able to escape to Laura and Kyle's room and have her apocalyptic-rocker Daddy-stand-in chase off the potential suitors, which he never failed to do. Not that she didn't like Jamie, but his inexhaustible zeal in the crusade against her paralytic powers tired her, and it was good to have someone who didn't mind being unpopular for a while to tell him where to go when she needed a break.

At thirteen now, she wasn't exactly Pryde-standard girlishly cute to look at, her tastes leaning heavily towards Rogue and Wanda's brand of unique, with the oversized necessities coming from Laura's grasp of the internet and Kyle's generosity. A few of her dresses were actually modified t-shirts that Laura had borrowed from Kyle and which had then been absorbed into her wardrobe and become Torpid's. She liked it that way, and she didn't want to change or to start experimenting with the way she dressed, but she had noted a distinct difference in the way they were received by people as she grew older, and it was not a very pleasant one.

To a child like her, although abnormally intelligent and observant, she was extremely sheltered, something Kyle and Laura had contributed to by keeping her as far removed from the real world as they could, but she was growing up with or without their consent, and there were certain things they could not protect her from. Such as herself.

She had finally asked the Professor to be allowed to try schooling outside the mansion, interested since it would mean that she would be attending the same school as Dorian and Jamie, and Xavier had set up a place for her in their 'special class' where her disability would be accounted for. She didn't know much about grades or anything like that, but was a little disappointed that both Dorian and Jamie would be at least a class removed from her, Jamie already sixteen, but she was assured by them that they'd look out for her in breaks and speak to her there, although Storm encouraged her to make new friends if she could.

On her first day she was only in school about three hours before Laura came to pick her up, but it rattled her. School was bigger and noisier than she had imagined, and she was constantly checking her gloves and shirt to make sure she couldn't brush against anyone by accident. She had spent most of the day getting to know the teacher and the others in her class. They were a fairly diverse group, one of the girls a paraplegic who needed special help and had her own assistant – the daughter of someone high up, formerly decorated, Kyle informed her, knowing everything about everything as usual – and so Torpid had concentrated on the things she could do, such as be nice and try to avoid direct contact. She was tired from the exertions but still wanted to try a 'real school day', so she was packed off again the next day, ferried by Storm who drove her and Jamie and Dorian together. Ilyana and Piotr attended a special class with Russian-speaking teachers somewhere on the other side of town, she knew, so the blonde girl wouldn't be joining them for quite some time, needing to learn better English before that would be possible.

The second day was not much better than the first. When she had a break to eat her lunch she was too nervous to do so, and spent her time on a bench outside listening to her iPod with the headphones on and the volume cranked way up, even though Kyle had warned her about doing damage to her ears. She chose to ignore his advice for once, needing to escape the noise of them all for a moment, and looked around for Leech or Jamie. They didn't seem to be around, and she was certain she would have noticed Leech at least. His inducer kept his green tinge and the slightly odd features hidden, but she'd still recognise him anywhere. Jamie was a different story. He still wasn't very tall and she doubted she'd see him over a crowd.

She was looking over some people as best she could because she thought she'd glimpsed him when someone snatched her headphones off and dangled them in front of her.

"Hey little girl, what ya got there?" asked one of the four boys in front of her. She panicked, realising that she'd ignored another of Kyle's rules; Never let your guard down enough to let anyone sneak up on you. She knew that listening to music so loud that she couldn't hear anything else at all was a tactical error. She had been unprepared and now she had no escape route.

"Woah, heavy stuff for a kid like you," one of them said, pressing an ear to _her_ headphones and nodding along to the beat. She'd been listening to something Laura had uploaded for her, but she didn't know what was or was not heavy enough for a child her age, however younger than the reality she might appear. She attempted to gesture that she didn't really know what they meant, but they discounted her.

"Weird shit," one of the others agreed, snatching the phones from his companion. She felt a familiar twinge of anger through the fear. Kyle would hate to see something he'd bought for her treated like that. Those were top notch headphones, her last birthday present. The iPod had been from Laura. She made a grab for them without thinking, opening her mouth wordlessly to protest, and the mood turned sinister.

"Wan' 'em back, kid? Tell us you wan' 'em back," the one who had as yet remained silent sneered at her, and she signed her plea, but they just laughed at her. They knew she was mute, they had to. And she couldn't even call for help. They passed her headphones between them, cord dangling, just out of her reach although she stood on the bench to reach them, and when she jumped to try and catch them mid-throw, she misjudged the width of the plank she was standing on and tumbled to the ground, gravel biting at her knees, hands luckily protected by the leather gloves she wore – for their protection, she realised. _'For yours'_, she heard Kyle say, seeing him in her mind's eye, sliding them over the cuffs of her shirt carefully and looking at her gravely. _'They protect you, from them'_, he had said. _'It goes both ways. You don't want to touch them any more than they would like you to, and if you take them off they have one more weapon to use against you. Never use your powers unless you have to.'_

She got up shakily, she could feel her torn knees leaking something under her jeans, and she pushed back her hair with a trembling hand. Laura didn't want her fighting, but Kyle had taught her anyway, placating Laura by promising that he'd always be there to ensure she wouldn't need to use the things he taught her. But he wasn't there and they were laughing at her, throwing around her birthday present, and no one was coming to help her...

She narrowed her eyes, curled her hands into fists and watched them dancing around her. The minute one of them got close enough she twisted on her heel and rammed her fist into his crotch, kneeing him in the jaw when he dropped to the ground wheezing and spluttering. _'Get them where it hurts. It doesn't have to be pretty. If it works then it doesn't have to look good – it's about winning,'_ she heard the gravelly tones in the back of her mind say, and she felt a certain sense of justice in the way the blood from her knee smeared on the youth's face when the impact from the blow crunched his teeth together audibly.

She rounded on the other three, feeling a familiar snarl curl her lips, and for a moment she wished she had fangs. Kyle's fangs sometimes won a battle for him before it had even really begun. Unfortunately, she was not as frightening as he was, and they dove on her before she could react properly, and the panic she felt as they held her down and one of her gloves slipped off a little way down her wrist sent a shock of adrenaline through her. _'When you're down, don't give up. They haven't won until you give up. You'll be afraid, but that will help you. If I'm ever not there, and that's all you remember, hold on to it. Don't ever give up; that's what they want.' _

She thrashed and kicked, one boot connecting with something that gave as a weight lifted off her, and she screamed without screaming, terrified, fingers clawing at them. She heard another voice through their yelling, the curses, others screaming, someone shouting her name, but she didn't want to open her eyes and see it, certain she must have touched one of them, certain her cover was blown, and then the weights were gone completely and she felt herself lifted awkwardly and heard Leech.

"Tori! _Tori!_ Jamie she's bleeding!" She was breathing shallowly, choking on her tears, hands covering her eyes, and Leech hugged her but she didn't want to be hugged, she wanted to see them all in pain, as afraid as she was, and she refused to look at what had to be her worst nightmare.

"What on _earth_ is going on here?" The voice of her teacher cut through everything, and the cries of 'fight, fight, fight' she realised she'd been hearing subsided.

"They were hurting her, the sick sons of – "

"She's a mutie freak, she doesn't deserve to be here – "

"TAKE IT BACK!"

She opened her eyes to see Jamie being restrained by some other boys, trying to get at one of those who had hurt her. His lip was bleeding, but his adversary was cradling his arm at an odd angle, and the other two were bleeding from various places as well, one on the floor wheezing. Her teacher was standing next to her, hand on Leech's shoulder, and she glared at Torpid's attackers.

"The child can't help being voiceless!" she yelled, sounding truly furious, and Jamie glanced over at Torpid with a worried look on his face.

"Tori, are you okay?" he called, but she couldn't answer because the teacher rounded on him.

"Quiet! All of you, principal's office right now. March!" she bellowed, and then looked back at Dorian.

"Can you take her to the front desk and call her parents, please?" Leech nodded, and she made a satisfied noise, then grabbed two of Torpid's attackers and began to herd them all towards the main building. Torpid realised that she was still crying.

"Tori... why did they do that?" Dorian asked softly, beginning to lead her away form the scene, but she stopped, picking up her headphones from under the bench, showing him them.

They were broken.

* * *

She had let Leech ask the secretary to pull up the number of Torpid's official guardians – Laura and Kyle were both listed as well as the Institute's official number that went to one of two lines, one in the Professor's study and one in the med bay – and she heard the lady telling whoever picked up that Torpid had had an accident and needed to go home, but she couldn't tell who would come for her.

She imagined the Professor coming for her in the Bentley, disappointed and stern, asking why she reacted the way she had, whether she had used her powers.

Storm or Logan could come for her, Storm concerned and fussing, upset that she had been the victim of such intolerance. Logan would be angry, angry with the world, with the boys who had chosen her to pick on, and with the school for not taking care of her.

But if Laura and Kyle came to get her...

Laura... if Laura came to pick her up, how would she react? Would she be angry? Would she be worried, like Storm, maybe even frightened that Torpid might have used her powers? Or would she make a scene, demand that they rectify their error in not keeping a better eye on her, not taking better care of her, like Logan would?

And Kyle – he could do anything. There was absolutely no telling how he would react to the situation, and Torpid was both a little frightened of that, and yet hoped that he would be the one to come for her, so that he could defend her, lash out for her...

Dorian sat next to her on the sofa, holding her hand, and she squeezed his a little, a gesture of thanks.

"I'm sorry, Tori... We didn't know it was you," he apologised quietly, and she nodded, knowing that what he really meant was 'We couldn't hear that it was you'. If she had been able to scream for help, would they have come sooner? Would Jamie have been there to get back her headphones before it took the wrong turn it had taken? She shivered, pulled her sleeves down over her wrists, and he caught the movement.

"Do you want your coat?" he asked, concerned, and she nodded, trying to smile. The adrenaline from earlier had left her cold and empty, on the verge of tears. Laura had once told her that it was chemical feedback from your body after the initial danger had passed and the reaction was over. The excess adrenaline left you and then other hormones moved in to clean up, the result being what felt like a miniature depression.

Dorian got up and put his hand on her arm.

"I'll go get it for you – and your stuff. I'll be right back!" he assured her, then left, and she sat there in silence, looking at the floor while the secretary tended to her duties at the desk.

Torpid looked down at her lap, to the broken remains of her birthday present and stroked the shattered plastic with a leatherclad thumb. Would they be angry that she hadn't been able to defend her possessions? Looking up, she noticed that the secretary was looking over her paperwork at her, a sympathetic frown creasing her brow.

"Are you alright, honey – " she began, but the door swung open so hard that it hit the wall with a loud crash, and in strode Kyle and Laura, both with their helmets under their arms, both looking grim beyond words. She sat up straight as they approached, but her lip started to quiver and she couldn't keep from sobbing a little when they drew level with her. Laura addressed the secretary.

"Jamie Madrox. I am here to collect him," she said calmly, and the lady nodded, picking up her phone and pushing down a button.

"Someone here for Mr. Madrox, sir;" she said, and then looked back up at Laura.

"Right this way," she murmured, giving Kyle an odd look and gesturing towards the door on her left.

"I'm here for Tori," he growled, and her mouth formed a little 'o' before she looked at Torpid questioningly. She nodded at her, and the lady walked towards the door.

"We'll be fine. Go," he said to Laura, voice softer than it had just been, and she smiled at him, nodded once, and followed the woman through. Kyle knelt in front of Torpid, looking at her steadily.

"Tell me what happened," he said, tone still as soft as when he had spoken to Laura, and she raised her hands to begin, but she couldn't talk to him about it, couldn't tell him that she'd lost to them, and she threw her arms around his neck and wept instead, silent sobs racking her form as he held her gently and stroked her hair.

"It's okay sweets, it's okay, we'll take care of it, I promise," he said quietly, murmuring into her ear with that deep, calming voice of his, and she knew he meant every word. She pulled away a little and looked at him, and he gave her a lopsided grin and wiped her tears away.

"Well, your arms work," he remarked, and she nodded, smiling a little as she wiped her nose on her sleeve, not caring how unladylike it might be, knowing he wouldn't comment it, judge her. And that gave her the strength to form the words with her fingers, tell him. Because no matter what, it wasn't her fault and he would never blame her.

'_I was listening to music and they took my headphones. Three of them. They made fun of me. I tried to get them back. I fell. They were laughing at me. I got one of them down but they jumped on me and I couldn't fight them...'_ she signed, hands shaking as she recalled how they had weighed her down, tearing at her, and Kyle stroked her hair away from her face gently, eyes flitting over her cheek where the contact with the gravelly ground stung and let her know she was injured.

"Go on," he prompted, sounding very controlled, and she nodded, swallowed, and went on.

'_Jamie saw and he came to help me, he pulled them off. Dorian made sure I was okay. My teacher came out and made them go with her to the principal's office, and – '_

Kyle held up a hand, turned his head, listening for something. She couldn't hear anything at first and then she heard a faint raised voice behind the door Laura had left through. He frowned, and then shook his head, turning his attention back to her.

"I'm sorry, go on," he said contritely, and she bit her lip. That hurt too.

'_She made them go with her. Leech brought me here and I waited for you to come.'_ Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"He left you here?" he asked, sounding angry, and she shook her head, hastening to reassure him that Dorian hadn't abandoned her.

'_No! I was cold and he just went to get my coat and my bag, he only just left when you came, he should be back soon,'_ she signed, fingers flying through the air, and Kyle sighed.

"Good. He knows better than to do that," he said, then looked her over.

"What hurts?" he asked, concern layering his voice, and she pointed to the various places.

'_I think I'm okay... My knee hurts the worst. Can we go home please?'_ she looked at him with some trepidation, worried that she might not be allowed to just come home where it was safe, and he smiled at her, looking incredibly tired for a moment before he spoke.

"Of course you're coming home. If that's what you want. No one is going to make you stay here," he said, and she drew a breath of relief.

'_Thank you. I just want to go home.'_ Without thinking, she stretched out her arms to him the way she had done when she had been younger, asking to be picked up. Laura used to joke that she swore the kids spent more time in Kyle's arms than she did, and Torpid knew there was some truth to that statement, however much she might have meant it in jest. Sometimes being picked up and held was the only thing that made you feel safe and happy, and he understood that. Logan sometimes said that if only Kitty and Stripes had been younger when they joined them, he'd probably have been just like Kyle was with Torpid and Ilyana, and Torpid believed him. After all, he was just as bad as the blonde when it came to the kids.

Kyle picked her up as though she weighed nothing and she buried her face in his hair and hid from it all, the same way she'd done as a child, holding onto him, enjoying how she felt untouchable – knowing that she was, really.

"Let's go home," he said gently, and she nodded. Over his shoulder she saw Leech approaching them, and Kyle turned, reaching out for the bag and jacket the boy proffered.

"Is – is Tori gonna be okay?" he asked hesitantly, and Kyle put a hand on the normally greenish mutant's shoulder.

"She's okay. She's just tired," he said kindly, and Leech looked at the floor.

"We should have taken care of her," he said guiltily,

"It's all our fault, we couldn't – "

"Hey," Kyle cut across the kid's admission and Leech looked up at the blue-eyed feral.

"She's okay. That's what matters. You two did what you could. I'm proud of you both," Kyle said quietly, and Leech smiled sadly.

"Tori was the one who broke that one kid's arm," he said with some pride, and Kyle stifled a chuckle.

"Don't let anyone hear you talk about that, okay? We'll discuss it when you get home. Storm's getting you later. You just finish the day and let us worry about that." Leech nodded, then reached up and patted Torpid's boot awkwardly.

"I'll see you later Tori," he said, and then she heard his retreating footsteps. Another few seconds later, the door to the Principal's office opened, hitting the wall with a loud, echoing slam as Laura exited, Jamie beside her, propelled by her insisting hand on his shoulder. He broke free of her hold and ran towards them, reaching up and taking Torpid's hand and looking at her with a sort of fierce sadness in his eyes.

"Oh God, your _face_ – I'm _so_ sorry Tori – they'll pay, I swear they will," he whispered, tone venomous at the promise, and Laura caught up to them and caught his shoulder in that iron grip once more.

"No more of that," she said in a quiet, harsh tone. She placed her other hand on Kyle's arm and leaned in.

"I need to talk to you when we get back," she murmured, then looked at Torpid with incredible sympathy in her eyes, stroking the girl's arm. Torpid hadn't lifted her face to look at them properly yet, and she didn't plan to.

"I know. Let's get them home," Kyle replied, in the same undertone, and they left the building. Laura took Torpid from Kyle as they reached their bikes and placed her own helmet on Torpid's head, kissing it as she shut the visor and said,

"Jamie and Kyle need to have a word. They'll be following us, but we will be back before them." Torpid nodded and put on her coat, getting on behind Laura and holding on tightly as the older girl waved at Kyle and Jamie who were still standing on the sidewalk next to Kyle's bike. Kyle waved back and she and Laura left with an angry, superfluous roar of the engine that was the only indication of Laura's own rage. Torpid knew, however. She always knew when one of them was upset, and they were both angry right now. She hoped that Kyle wouldn't make it hard for Jamie, but at the same time, she felt like he and Dorian should have been there for her. As Laura rounded the corner and she looked back and they disappeared, all she really wanted was to go home and go to sleep...

* * *

Kyle gave Jamie his helmet and the younger mutant put it on without questioning him. It was always best not to question the blonde. Especially if you didn't know whether or not you were in trouble. Kyle looked him over, then nodded.

"We're going for a ride, kid. Get on." Jamie did as he was told without a word, almost a little excited to be riding with the feral. Noone besides Laura and very very rarely Tori or Ily _ever_ rode with Kyle. There was a certain element of rockstar cool about both him and Laura, and despite the situation that had led to his position, as Kyle left the school and took off in the opposite direction to the one Laura and Torpid had taken, Jamie felt a little thrill of that cool being transferred to his own person. Until he realised that they were going the wrong way, and a cold hand gripped at his heart.

He hadn't thought beyond that the blonde might be angry with him for not getting to Torpid in time – and Jamie was completely on board with him there, he was pissed off with himself and all – but now that they were passing places Jamie was only vaguely familiar with at a high speed, he considered just what he had done and how the feral might take that.

He hadn't taken care of Torpid. He had promised Laura that he and Dorian would look out for the girl, although he didn't privately need to promise anyone that he would as he had wanted to do nothing else since the moment he met her, but he had promised. And he had failed. Tori had had to deal with three assailants at the same time, two of whom would be going to the hospital as a result of that. Jamie was happy that she could take care of herself, but there would be repurcussions. Not only at school, although he didn't care about those, but for Torpid herself. Her trust, her faith in humankind would be damaged. The innocent fragility that he had fallen in love with all those years ago would hamper her, lead to emotional scarring because she had been forced to react violently. And Kyle knew that as well as he did.

Torpid was close enough to Kyle and Laura to be considered their own child, in fact people frequently mistook them for being her parents, something he knew she actually liked. It made her feel as though she belonged, and she did. They loved her unconditionally. Kyle especially doted on her the way any father would his daughter, and Jamie knew that the blonde had often resented him for pressuring Torpid into trying her powers. And now he had reason to more than just resent him for not honouring his promise to protect her.

Jamie didn't recognise the curb they pulled up on, but he got off and removed his helmet all the same, following Kyle when the blonde motioned him to do so, and stopping dead in front of the door he led him to. The sign above it read _Harry's. _He looked at Kyle in blank astonishment.

"Close your mouth kid, let's go," was the reply to that particular move, and he did so, again just following in Kyle's footsteps. The lights were on inside, an older man polishing the bar looked up at them and nodded to Kyle as they entered, and the blonde perched on a stool, nodding back.

"That your boy?" Harry asked, as Jamie hopped onto one next to Kyle and sat there, looking around him with awe. This was the epicentre of masculinity – this was where such manly men as Logan, Remy, Kyle, Piotr, Lance and St. John Allerdyce himself met on weeknights to play pool and shoot the breeze. This was what any young lad aspired to – being taken to such hallowed ground was a sacred experience and one that would be remembered and spoken of forever. He had to be cool. If he showed Kyle up, he'd be just the weedy clumsy dork who didn't have growth spurts like normal boys did. He'd never be man enough for a girl like Torpid who had such an impressive pantheon of males in her life to compare potential future suitors to. He couldn't fail himself on this one.

"Nah, it's one of the kids from the Institute. Had to take him out of school for getting in a fight," Kyle said casually, catching the shot of something dark that Harry slid to him from the other end of the bar. The older man's impressively bushy eyebrows shot upwards and he fixed Jamie with a beady stare.

"A fight, y' say? Well now. What's a good kid like you doing getting into fights? Now I know that's not what they're teaching you at that place o' yours," he said reproachfully, and Jamie sat up straight and held his head high.

"No sir. I wouldn't have done it if Tori hadn't been in trouble," he said, tone just a hint of defiance tempered with a little pride and some respect. Harry gave Kyle a pointed look.

"Someone take a shot at your girl there?" he asked in a sideways manner, and Kyle nodded, throwing back the drink and handing over the glass to be refilled.

"Three someones. Goddamn little pricks, ganging up on her just because she can't talk. All of them bigger than her, naturally," Kyle said with steely rage, and Harry shook his head sadly, sliding over the refill and then leaning on the bar.

"Don' know what this world's coming to. She's such a sweet little thing, how's it her fault she can' talk? Damn punk kids... You say you helped her out, huh?" he asked Jamie, voice gruff with indignation and upset over the news, and Jamie nodded.

"Yes sir. Couldn't let them hurt her. Just didn't get to her in time... It was nearly over by the time we figured out it was her, 'cause she can't... I mean, she couldn't let us know she needed us," he said, trailing off and looking down at the smooth polished surface of the bar guiltily.

"In time? She get hurt bad?" Harry asked, and Kyle shook his head, flashing the other man a rueful smile.

"Few scrapes, mostly she was scared and of course by the time we got there to take her home she was starting to feel really bad about it all, but damn if she didn't break that one kid's arm and I don't know what she did to the other one but they'd already gotten him to the hospital," he said, definite pride in both his eyes and voice, and Jamie piped up despite not being asked.

"That other one – Tori kneed him in the – yeah, and I think she broke one of his teeth," he said, hearing the same pride in his own voice that had been so evident in Kyle's, and Harry whistled.

"Well now, she's a good girl," he chuckled,

"I've always said it's the sweet ones you don't wanna mess with! Takes after Laura, don' she?" Kyle grinned at that.

"She does at that. But there's going to be trouble when we get back so I promised she who must be obeyed I'd talk to this one, get the worst of it over with," he said seriously, and Harry nodded, looking over at Jamie.

"Sure, sure... You realise you did wrong by school rules?" he asked, and Jamie nodded.

"I know I did," he said slowly, then looked at Kyle fleetingly.

"But Tori's more important," he finished, and the blonde mutant's eyes softened in accept.

"Well then son, I'd say that's all there is to talk about," Harry said with finality, and Kyle downed his drink and nodded.

"Don't see there's much else to discuss here. Thanks Harry – put it on my tab," he said, then clapped Jamie on the shoulder.

"Come on kid, let's go home," he said, and Jamie stood up and left with him.

The drive home was silent and oddly comfortable. He felt that he'd proven his worth in some strange manly way that he wasn't yet quite old enough to fathom, and while his initial thought had been to brag about being taken to Harry's by one of the older set, now he didn't much want to share the experience with anyone. Something important had passed this afternoon, and it wasn't the kind of something you just talked about with _anyone_. No, this was a preliminary rite of passage – a test of his devotion – and Jamie had come through it with a clearer sense of what it was to be an adult with the kind of responsibilities the men had. What it meant to be someone's guardian, to be asked to make decisions for others every day, and to have others rely on you for things they couldn't do alone. It was a frightening insight into the adult world to be shown how much a child you still are at sixteen, how others are still in charge of handling you and your problems, but now he at least felt he understood the weight of that responsibility. And he wanted to be truly worthy of it when it passed to him one day.

Kyle said nothing to him as they pulled up at the Institute, but Jamie knew what he was supposed to be doing and he left the blonde to enter the mansion and was met in the hall by Remy, who gave him a serious look.

"Y' back den, huh? De _professeur_ wan's t' see y'," he said gravely, and Jamie nodded.

"I know. Where's Tori? I have to see her first," he insisted, and the Cajun's eyes glowed a warm blood red.

"_Je sais_, an' y' will. Bu' righ' now de _petite_ be in her room wit' _ma chere_ an' Laura. Hank checked her ou' an' she needs t' get some sleep. Y' can see her when she's done restin'," he said, sounding less forbidding than he had before, and Jamie sighed.

"She's gonna be okay, right? They can't blame her for fighting back, can they?" he asked quietly, and Remy shrugged.

"_Je ne sais pas_, Jamie. _Mais_ one ting be sure – ain' no one here gon' blame her f' fightin' back," he said with a smile, and Jamie tried to smile in return.

"I know. Thanks." Remy grinned briefly and then walked past him, calling out over his shoulder,

"Go see de _professeur_, kid, he'll tell y' what y' wan' t' know!" and Jamie nodded to himself, took a deep breath, and began the short trek to the Professor's study.

* * *

"Come in, Jamie," the muffled voice from within called out just as he had raised his hand to knock, and he lowered it to the doorhandle instead and entered, closing the door behind him. The Professor was behind his desk, looking at some paperwork, and he motioned for Jamie to sit, which he did, before looking up from it.

"Jamie, I'm sure by now you've guessed that Torpid will not be returning to school again," he said kindly, and Jamie nodded.

"Kinda figured she wouldn't want to," he mumbled, and Xavier smiled.

"Quite. However, as far as we have ascertained none of her attackers were in fact actually aware of the fact that she is a mutant – their insults have been interpreted as a misguided prejudice towards her for her inability to speak – and so her status as a mutant is as yet still unrevealed to the general public. Due to her disability, she is also being offered a compensation payment for her ordeal as well as a formal apology. No one will be pressing charges against her as it was an unprovoked attack on a disabled child that led to their own injuries, and the courts take a rather dim view of those who would harm an innocent child..." Jamie breathed a sigh of relief. No publicity, no having to dodge cameras or being poked at by people, no open revulsion on the street. She'd be safe again – they'd keep her safe. Charles' smile became sad.

"Of course, we are extremely pleased that there will be no repurcussions of any kind with regards to the incident itself, but Torpid's general development both of herself as a person and of her powers may be affected by the affair. Her ability to trust others may have been damaged, and as for her physical wellbeing she is displaying signs of shock. For this reason I may have to insist that she not be forced to face either you or Dorian until she feels ready to do so. You must allow her to come to terms with this in her own time. Is that understood?"

"So I can't see her? Why can't I see her? You think we'll make it worse?" Jamie realised he had raised his voice but he didn't really care if the Professor thought him rude – they couldn't just decide that he wasn't allowed to see her – he _had_ to see her, make sure she was okay, help her realise that none of this had been her fault –

"That's not fair!"

"Jamie, I realise that you do not understand why this is our decision for now, but you need to have faith that we are only doing what is best for Torpid. No one can blame you for wanting to see her at once, but I feel it might upset her further. Is that what you want?" Xavier's voice was calm, gentle, but with an underlying hint of disappointment, and Jamie hung his head and sighed.

"No, sir. I don't..."

"I know what it is like to have to witness a dear friend suffer, my boy. Trust me when I say that the mind must heal in it's own time after such an ordeal. We want her to recover fully, regain her faith in humanity. I will need you to help her with that, when she is ready." Jamie looked up, a fresh spark in his eyes.

"Like Remy used to help Rogue with her problems?" he asked eagerly, and Charles smiled ruefully.

"Not quite like that. I think there would be – ah – some objection to that particular kind of help. No, I was thinking more along the lines of refreshing her positive memories of the non-mutant community." Jamie made a face at being told he wouldn't be allowed to pitch in on eventual therapy, but gave Charles a smile nonetheless.

"I just want to help." Xavier nodded.

"And you shall. Now, I believe Storm is waiting in the medical bay with Hank." Jamie rose and left without further protests or questions, and Charles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Now to take care of the real problems.

* * *

It was always slightly weird when Kyle had to be sent for by Charles, who had yet to devise a way to summon him telepathically without incurring severe pain in the feral mutant due to his heavy natural shields – another thing about him that they had yet to explain fully – but he was waiting for it when Storm entered Ilyana and Torpid's room to find him sitting next to the brunette child, looking at her.

"Kyle... Charles needs to speak to you," Ororo said quietly, knowing that the girl was under sedation courtesy of Hank to help her rest, but still feeling that a moderate tone was required for the situation. The blonde mutant nodded, got up, left the room with her, and closed the door on the way out, and she looked at him with concern.

"Will you be alright, my friend?" she asked gently, and he sighed.

"Sometimes I miss being irresponsible, Ororo," he said heavily, and she frowned.

"To avoid the pain?" He smiled sadly at the query, and shook his head, eyes flashing.

"To avoid repercussions when I deal with this sort of thing. Every instinct I have wants someone to pay for this – for hurting her. But that's not going to happen because you have rules and I have to abide by them to stay here." Her brow crinkled in understanding, and she laid a hand on his arm.

"You and Logan are so very alike," she said, eyes meeting his.

"When his loved ones are threatened he responds instinctively – sometimes we are forced to restrain him, to keep him from doing more harm than is acceptable. I know how hard it is for you to keep from turning this into a war when it has been so for you both at some point, but the children do not need to see battle done on their behalf. Not like that. I know you know that, Kyle."

"I do. But _I _don't."

He pulled away with a last, steady look at her, and made his way downstairs, and she folded her arms around herself and glanced in the direction of Torpid's door. Logan had been enraged when he had been told. Rogue was still with him, as was Kitty, but while Storm trusted that Logan could quell his desire for blood in exchange for that of one of his own, she had been worried by Kyle's cold, calm reaction to the news, the way he had been devoid of negative response as though detached from it totally. Laura had been angry, but she had concealed it to the best of her ability in order to deal with Jamie's potential punishment at the hands of the school. Kyle had been far too controlled, she and Hank had agreed on that much. How long before he relaxed those barriers of his?

* * *

Charles eyed the blonde feral with some suspicion as he came in and sat down. The calm the young man exuded seemed misplaced, a reaction similar to Logan's when first told somehow seeming more appropriate than the emotionless detachment the younger man had settled into. Charles felt it was unnatural that he not be openly angry about the matter when it would be the obvious instinctual response to having one of his own put at risk. At any rate, it needed to be addressed.

"Kyle, thank you for joining me. I take it she is asleep then?" he asked pleasantly, and Kyle nodded curtly.

"I'd rather she hadn't needed the sedative but Hank insisted it was necessary because of the shock setting in and if that's what it takes then that's what we'll do."

An odd association struck Charles as he took in the way Kyle was looking at him, the way his inflections were solely informative and didn't convey any emotion despite the fact that he was admitting to being uncomfortable with drugging Torpid. Laura had done the same when she had first come to them, her reactions to everything analytic and coldly detached from any emotional connections she might have been ignoring. Basic training taking over. But then, she'd never known anything else, whereas Kyle had at some point had a family and deep emotional ties to others, so without the added edge of using his powers on the other mutant, he couldn't gauge the implications of his reactions by observation alone. He'd need him to admit to them, whatever they were.

"Yes, yes of course. I'm told you spoke to Jamie regarding his actions?" he inquired.

"I did."

"He really did very little damage to his opponents compared to Torpid. I must say I don't know whether to be disappointed in one or impressed by the other," Charles said with amusement, and Kyle's eyes flashed.

"Jamie was blinded by his fears that she was injured and that would have impacted his judgement. He would have been unable to properly implement his training. He needs to work on that but he's young, it will come in time. She was already injured and reacted out of desperation. They both deserve to be commended for their bravery at the least." Kyle's voice was toneless.

"And you, my friend? You have nothing to add to any of this? I know Logan was angry enough to warrant needing the girls to keep an eye on him so that he did nothing... rash... Laura was nothing if not level-headed about it but I detected a hint of anger there, too." Kyle looked at him coldly.

"What were you expecting? That she pretend not to care that the child had been attacked by three intolerant older students? Or perhaps you, like so many others, do not really understand just how much Laura cares for those children. She was worried. We both were. Are." Charles raised an eyebrow at the barely restrained violence suddenly very visible in the other mutant's countenance.

"Kyle, you know I of all people know how special those children are to you – and you to them. They adore you, both of you, and Laura loves them as though they were her own. Of course you were worried, I understand perfectly. I, on the other hand am worried about _you_. You have taken all of this very..." he searched for the right words too long, and Kyle expressed it rather less delicately than Charles was seeking to do.

"You thought I'd go one better than Wolverine and slaughter them on sight, red haze and all, is that it?" he asked bitterly, and Charles stared at him, taken aback.

"No, Kyle, no – of course not. I trust you to keep your impulses in check and react with the proper level of restraint. Even if you won't agree to therapy with me like so many of the others, I respect your decision to refuse the offer and I know that you wouldn't refuse it if you thought you needed that kind of help," Charles tried to keep his voice as firm and non-rebuking as possible, but he didn't have to be able to read minds to see how angry Kyle still was. To his surprise, the blonde's expression suddenly shifted to an intense, hateful look.

"I told you not to mention that, Charles."

Kyle made it a point never to refer to them by their names – apart from Laura – unless he had to, but in rare cases he made exceptions to ram his point home, and it did not take a genius to see that here was a prime example of a case being slammed shut before Charles had had a real chance to explore the issue. In all fairness, he had promised Kyle early on in their acquaintance to abstain from mentioning possible ways in which he could be helped during his stay at the mansion. He sighed and rubbed his temples.

"I apologise. Perhaps we should leave this conversation for another time – when the child is recovered sufficiently we can discuss her further schooling. The details will need to be clarified – "

"She's not going back. We are not going to allow that. She can stay here, with us."

"Kyle, I really don't think – "

"Or listen, it seems. This is not open for discussion." In an oddly fluid, quick manoeuvre, Kyle left the office and Charles found himself staring at an empty seat opposite from him, at a complete loss as to how to react to this revelation.

* * *

She sat on their bed, silently watching him go through the motions of preparing for battle, and when he moved to buckle the final cuffs around his wrists, she stood up and reached out to him. He allowed her to take over and do it for him, but when she had finished with the other wrist as well, she gripped his hand, hard, and stared him in the eye.

"Are you set on this?" she asked, and he curled his fingers into a fist, flexing his arm. She did not let go.

"Stay here, Laur'. It won't take long." Her fingers tightened around his hand and she pressed her lips together briefly, the only sign of the exertion she displayed outwardly.

"Please don't do this without me. At least let me come with you."

"And have them kick you out as well? No. This is your family. You belong here. I can always go and stay with the Brotherhood if things go that way. You would be unhappy anywhere but here." She couldn't argue the logic, just like she couldn't argue the truth that the soon-to-be victims deserved their fate. But…

"What will she think? When she finds out?"

"She doesn't have to. This is what we do, Laur'. This is what we are. You can't ask me not to do this, you want it as much as I do."

"I want to come. I want to see it."

"It's not a discussion. After all – if we both leave, who'll be here when she wakes up?"

* * *

Thursday morning a week later, around the breakfast table, Logan was poring over the newspaper with an unlit cigar clamped firmly between his lips, and the kids were gossiping about the latest milk-carton-picture-worthy disappearance while Storm kept a steady stream of pancakes coming and chatted to Kitty, and Hank discussed recent advances in genetic science with Charles, who nodded and sipped at his coffee every so often.

" – didn't he used to go to Jamie's school?"

" – that house fire last week? Totally freaky, imagine burning to death like that – "

"Did you read about that kid in that hit-and-run Saturday night?"

" – so sad – "

" – like, _so_ happy she's over it now, but I _totally_ get why they don't want her going back there again."

"Just look at her, playing outside like nothing ever happened, children are so resilient."

As snippets of the various conversations reached him, filtered through the usual noises of a morning at the mansion, Logan had a sudden, devastatingly clear epiphany. Rising from the table, ignoring the inquiries as to where he was going from Amara and Rahne, he left by the kitchen door and walked around to the terrace where he was met by the sight of Laura and Kyle sitting on the redwood table, watching the children play on the lawn.

"Hey there," he greeted them, and Laura smiled at him serenely, Kyle nodding in acknowledgement.

"How's she doing today?" he asked, tipping his head at the little brunette with the oversized gloves who was chasing after Illyana some distance away.

"She's happy. She slept well last night," Laura said, and he stuck his hands in his pockets, noticing how she turned her gaze back to the children, but how her hand clutched at Kyle's involuntarily.

"Good, good. Hey, you got a minute? Got something I'd like to ask your opinion about," he said casually, and Kyle raised his head and looked at him, recognising the question as meant for him. He never addressed any of the girls like that.

"I've got two," he said, dislodging his arm from Laura's and giving her a look as he followed Logan down the slope and through the trees to the only place in the grounds where Storm would permit their smoking. The gazebo.

"Got a light?" he asked, and Kyle produced a lighter and let him help himself before lighting a cigarette for himself and giving him a steady look.

"So. What's this about?"

"I think you know what this is about, bub. I think you know just fine."

Kyle shrugged, exhaled, returned his gaze.

"Anything in particular wrong or just the usual?" he asked, not quite insolent, but hardly the picture of respect for his elders. Logan grimaced.

"Tell me straight, boy. Those kids – the ones who messed with Torpid. You took 'em out."

Kyle made an expansive gesture.

"Fifth amendment," he said calmly,

"I don't have to answer to you."

"You answer to Laura, though. What did she think of it?"

Logan was rewarded with a sharp glare.

"Whatever you're accusing me of, leave her out of it. She hasn't done anything wrong," he said, measured and careful, daring Logan to insist she had. As if he would.

"I don't think you did anything wrong either, that's why I'm asking you; Did you take 'em out?" He was perhaps ill-prepared for Kyle's response, but he fully understood it.

"I know I didn't, they deserved it – you should have seen that last family, bloody anti-mutant neo-Nazis – teaching their _children_ to hate like that! Laura had nothing to do with it – she knows but she didn't participate. Tori is never going to find out. Ever." Barely containing the desire to shout, Kyle's fangs were bared as he grated out the words, his last statement the clearest of threats if Logan thought to break the news to anyone. Like that was going to happen.

"Thought you kept it together too well when it happened. Good job, kid. I'm proud of you," he said gruffly, and Kyle's eyes widened.

"That's barely funny," he snarled, and Logan sighed.

"Look, Kyle. You and me maybe don't get on like we should. I know the girls think it's because we're too alike, maybe that's true, I don't know. But we have some things in common. Laura. The kids. And I know they mean as much to you as they do to me. I was a real stone cold bastard when I first came here. I thought everyone was out to get me, thought there weren't any good people left in the world. And suddenly I'm Father of the Year, can you believe it?" he chuckled roughly, sucking on his cigar.

"Yeah, I was an idiot. Should'a known you or Laura would go after them. Maybe I'm getting' soft, but I didn't wanna make things worse for the kid, go after 'em all guns blazing like I maybe should'a done. Then while I'm lettin' things mellow, lettin' a little water pass under the bridge so no one'll notice who's gettin' theirs when I get it done, you go right ahead and take care of business for me. I respect that. And not one of 'em suspects a damn thing. You did a good job, boy. I wouldn't lie when it concerns the family."

The anger in Kyle's eyes dissipated slowly while he spoke, replaced by a mixture os suspicion and confusion Logan could well understand.

"I broke the rules," he said clearly, and Logan shrugged.

"Long as they don't find out, I don't see a problem with that. You did it for her, boy. I know what that's like."

Kyle looked out over the foggy ridge beyond the drop just in front of them, frowning.

"They would have suspected you. You're first choice when it comes to this shit."

Logan nodded, waving a philosophical 'what ya gonna do?' sort of hand.

"Sure they do, it's my approach. Someone pushes one of us, we push right back. I know Charles thinks we should turn the other cheek, but Charles is a little naïve when it comes to these things. You and me kid, we've lived in this world long enough to know you can't always be turning the other cheek. You're gonna run out eventually and then you're screwed," he said ruefully, and Kyle's mouth twisted into a wry smile.

"Truth is, people like us, like Laura, hell, Gumbo and Sparky are on the list too – we know what people will do to other people. And sometimes we gotta do what's necessary to stop them doing those things to the people we love. Don't mean we have to tell any of the bleeding hearts where we were las' night, just means we gotta be careful not to let them know what we do for them. To protect them."

Kyle nodded, and Logan clapped him on the back twice, adding,

"So, like I said, I'm proud of you kid. Just next time you go hunting – let me know, I'll tag along."

Kyle's grin was brilliant.

"I promise."

Logan chuckled, turning to start the trek back to the mansion, then suddenly halted and said,

"By the way – where is that milk-carton kid?"

Kyle's smile was the picture of childish glee.


End file.
